Portrait of Pietro Aretino 1545

Titian painted this portrait of Pietro Aretino in Venice, probably in the 1540s, using oil on canvas. Aretino was a controversial figure, a writer who made a name for himself publishing witty and often vicious satires, targeting the rich and powerful. Here we see him sumptuously dressed, his gaze direct and challenging, embodying the self-image of a man who made a career out of fearless critique. Aretino was in some ways a product of the printing revolution, using the new medium to amplify his voice and challenge established hierarchies. Titian's image speaks to the changing social role of the artist, from craftsman to intellectual, and to the growing power of the press to shape public opinion. Art historians interested in the social history of art might look to period documents, such as letters and literary sources, to better understand Aretino's place in the cultural landscape of Renaissance Italy. We can see how art is always shaped by and comments on the society in which it is made.